Author: Dustin Ashby Updated: Sun 7/6/2008 9:22 pm

One year ago at Old Warson Country Club, a young Justin Bardgett found himself in the finals of the Metropolitan Amateur Match Play Championship against Player of the Year, Skip Berkmeyer.  On this day, Bardgett looked to defeat the number one seeded Berkmeyer holding a 2up lead with 2 holes to play.  But the veteran Berkmeyer found a way to square the match as he has a knack to do, ultimately winning in extra holes and sweeping away the championship from Bardgett.

Turn the clock forward a year and a more experienced Bardgett again was on the cuff of winning a major amateur championship, this time the 101st Missouri Amateur Championship.  And again, in his way was none other than  Skip Berkmeyer.  Both graduates of Chaminade High School, Bardgett has played in the shadow of Skip Berkmeyer for most of his young adult life.  A Missouri High School Champion, Bardgett has captured his share of major golf tournaments, but never a Men's major championship like he again had the opportunity to win on Sunday at WingHaven Country Club. 

Throughout the week, Skip Berkmeyer had played what he called some of the best golf he's played competitively in his career.  He had control over his golf ball, a great feel on the greens and an edge over many of the younger inexperienced competitors in the field.  Breezing through his first five matches, you could sense Berkmeyer intimidated his opponents if not because of his reputation alone.  But Bardgett had seen it before.  He fully understood what Berkmeyer was capable of and also knew that he was one good shot away from defeating him a year ago.  Watching the players warm up on Sunday morning, you could sense Bardgett wasn't going to spot Berkmeyer 2up on reputation alone.

As the players began their marathon 36 hole final match ominous clouds hovered over the Nicklaus Design Championship Golf Course and mother nature was evident with gusts of 10 to 15 mph.  For most of the week the weather had been perfect with little wind to challenge the golfers. 

If anyone had their doubts as to whether the younger and less experienced Bardgett would handle center stage, it took all of 15 minutes to answer that question.  After an atypical wayward drive from Berkmeyer off the first tee, Bardgett neatly placed his tee shot on the left side of the fairway.  It was Bardgett's second shot that served notice that he was ready for this challenge, as he stuck his approach to 4 feet of the hole.  He would go on to make birdie and assume a 1up lead.  After both players made birdie on the par 5, 2nd and pars on the 3rd, the players were called off the golf course for 45 minutes due to inclement weather with Bardgett maintaining the 1up lead.    

As play resumed the players were faced with a difficult shot from 205 yards on the par 3, 4th hole.  Playing as one of the more difficult holes throughout the tournament there were far more desireable holes to return after a rain delay.  Bardgett pulled his tee shot left, Berkmeyer found the front part of the green some 40 feet away from the hole.  Standing in the bunker with the ball above his feet outside of the sand, Bardgett was unable to control the distance on his chip sending his shot 15 feet past the hole.  Berkmeyer was unable to capitalize as he left his first putt some 10 feet short, potentially affected by the wet greens from the recent rain.  Both players walked off the par 3, 4th, with bogeys and the match still in Bardgett's favor. 

At the par 5, 5th hole Bardgett was less fortunate.  Bardgett made a mistake with his second shot, hitting into the deep fairway bunker 30 yards short of the green.  After escaping the fairway bunker only to find himself land in the greenside bunker, Bardgett was on his way to his second bogey in as many holes.  Berkmeyer had squared the match with his par. 

While still very early in the match, the 6th hole may well have been an indication of the direction this match would eventually take.  Berkmeyer, safely on the green 25 feet from the hole, appeared to have the advantage as Bardgett was short sided and in the heavy rough just off the green.  Bardgett's shot from the rough however was executed to perfection, landing softly and trickling towards the hole......and it caught the lower part of the hole and went in for a birdie three.  Berkmeyer's attempt at tying the hole hit the back of the cup and bounced out, giving Bardgett his second 1 up lead of the match.  

Par's from both players at 7 and 8 brought them to the par 4, 9th hole with Bardgett maintaining his 1up lead.  It was here that Bardgett formally served notice that he wasn't going to back away from past champion and St. Louis' top amateur golfer for the past decade.  Bardgett hit his approach shot at the 9th hole to 18 feet.  Berkmeyer hit a sub par approach and had 40 feet up the hill.  Putting first, Berkmeyer rolled in his long birdie attempt and it appeared the match would be square heading to the back nine.  But Bardgett had something to say about that as he calmly drained his 18 footer and made the track to the 10th tee still in control with a 1up lead.   

Key to winning in match play, especially a 36 hole match is to make your opponent earn the holes they win.  Up to this point in the match, the holes Bardgett had captured he did so with birdies.  Still carrying a 1up lead into the par 3, 12th hole, Bardgett received his first gift of the day from Berkmeyer.  After a pulled tee shot which ended up in the hazard, Bardgett's birdie putt from 17 feet was conceded.  On the 13th hole, Berkmeyer pushed a mid iron into the heavy rough right of the green and was unable to get up and down.  Back to back bogeys by Berkmeyer gave Bardgett his first cushion of the day and a 3up lead through 13 holes. 

Throughout the gallery of MGA Directors, family and friends and WingHaven members it was agreed that Bardgett needed to capitalize on this early shaky play by Berkmeyer.  Because if he didn't, a player of Berkmeyer's caliber would bounce back and typically do so in convincing fashion.  So wouldn't you know it, on the very next hole what would happen but Bardgett give a hole right back as he was unable to save par with a missed 3 foot putt.  

Through fifteen holes you could sense that Berkmeyer was struggling with this swing.  After hitting a shot he would rehearse his downswing, noticeably working on his swing plane trying to find that "something" that was missing.  "I was just trying to get to the house so I could try to fix it at lunch, but unfortunately for me he (Bardgett) hit two good shots and two good putts and really put a damper on things", commented Berkmeyer.  Bardgett's two good shots and two good putts resulted in birdies at 17 and 18, giving him a 4up lead to enjoy during the hour break for lunch.  Berkmeyer on the other hand quickly grabbed a box lunch and headed straight to the range to fix what was wrong with this swing.  

When play resumed at 2:05pm the crowd was noticeably larger and the tension a bit more obvious as everyone knew what was on the line.  If Berkmeyer didn't get off to a good start in the afternoon the match would quickly get out of hand.  If Bardgett started to play conservative, Berkmeyer would most likely find a way to catch him and beat him as he did 3 years ago.

After both players saved par on the 1st hole, Bardgett struck first with another birdie on the par 5, 2nd hole to extend his lead.  Both players missed the fairway on the 3rd with Bardgett forced to lay up short of the green.  Berkmeyer hit a spectacular shot from the left bunker to 30 feet right of the hole.  Bardgett's wedge shot ended up 15 feet from the hole.  Berkmeyer hit his first putt a bit firm and was forced to make a 5 footer for par to win the hole.  He missed and Bardgett dodged a bullet.  

Berkmeyer would bogey the 4th hole and go 6 down and then 3 putt the 5th hole to halve.  Berkmeyer commented, "I kept trying, 3, 4 and 5 were turning points in the afternoon.  I three putted on 3 and hit the ball over the green on 4 and then three putted to tie the hole on 5."  But as any great champion would, Berkmeyer kept fighting and was able to win the par 4, 7th hole to get back to 5 down.  

Sometimes you know it's not meant to be and Berkmeyer had to think the end could be near when Bardgett drained a 20 foot putt for birdie on number 9 to push back to 6 up with only 9 holes to play.  "It was his day, he did great", remarked Berkmeyer.  "He played well, he putted well, he did the things you had to do to beat me.  He was good, he hit the iron shots, made the putts and put all the pressure on me, I'm very proud of him, it's nice to see good things happen to good people".  

This magnificent day and ending to a very memorable week for Bardgett came to a close on the 12th green when Berkmeyer conceded after missing a 25 foot par putt.  The 1999 Champion shook hands with the 2008 Champion, Justin Bardgett, and congratulated him on a great performance.  "I was trying to shoot a good number this morning, I shot even par and Justin just shot a better score in the morning.  He's a good kid, I beat him a year ago in the Match Play where he lost a 2 up lead with 2 holes to play but today he did the things he had to do to close out the match." said Berkmeyer.